The objective of this research is to develop a broad synthetic pathway to the aglycones of the powerfully antitumor antibiotics, daunomycin and adriamycin. A second aim is to adapt these methods to the synthesis of homologs and analogs of the above substances in the hope that these new materials will have equal or enhanced antitumor activity but reduced cardiotoxicity. The latter is the major drawback of the naturally-occurring materials. Other objectives of the research are the synthesis of ciclacidine and the aglycone of the cinerubins A and B, both of which are also potent anticancer agents.